Relay.



No. 815,822. PATENTED MAR. 20, 1906. R. HERMAN.

RELAY.

APPLICATION FILED MA1L28, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1A No. 815,822. PATBNTED MAR. 20, 1906.

R. HERMAN.

RELAY. APPLICATION FILED MAR.z8,19o4.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE REINHOLD HERMAN. OF ORAETON, PENNSYLVANIA, AssIGNOR TO GENERAL ELECTRIC COMPANY, A CORPORATION OE NEW YORK.

Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented March 20, 1906.

Application filed March 28, 1904. Serial No. 200,457.

This invention has relation to relays; and

the object of this invention is to provide a relay for controlling electric circuits the efciency of which is (greater than relays of this character now use Heretofore in relays of this character the contact-blocks have been of such a construction as to break the arc at only one point and it is the object of my improved-relay to so tion.

construct the same that the arc will be broken at a plurality of distinct points, thus dividing the arc over the plurality of points, thereby insuring a positive action ofthe relay.

My invention further comprisesa number of featuresladapted to produce a compact, simple, and reliable form of relay.

With the above objects in view reference will be had to the accompanying drawings, wherein like numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several views, in which- Figure 1 is'a perspective view Of my improved' relay. Fig. 2 is atop plan view thereof, showing the glass casing in horizontal sec- Fig; 3 is a central vertical sectional view of my improved relay. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of one of the contact-blocks. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the contact-springs. Fig. 6 is a diagrammatical view of the relay and its wiring. Fig. 7 is a detail view of a portion of the bridge, showing the journal of the shaft.

In the accompanying drawings the reference-numeral 1 designates the baseof my improved relay, which is preferably made of Inarble, slate, or some suitable insulating material, and this base is supported upon legs 2, which are secured to the base by screws 3. Centrally secured to the top of this base is a bridge 4, upon which is mounted the electromagnets 5 and 6, these -electromafrnets being secured to the cross-frame 7 of the bridge and secured together at their top by a cross-plate 8, which is secured to said magnets by bolts 9 9, and mounted centrally upon said plate is a post 10, the object of which will be hereinafter more fully described. These electromagnets have a large number of turns of wire in their coils, and the core of each magnet passes down through the crossframe 7 of the bridge 4, as desi nated by the reference-numeral 11. Pivotal y mounted in the standards of the bridge 4 is the armature 12, which has copper plates 14 projecting on its upper surface and directly beneath each core of the electromagnets. This armature is supported by the arms 15 15, each Ofsaid arms carrying al downwardly-projecting lug V16, through which passes a shaft ,17, this shaft having its ends pointed and bearing in journals 18 18, which in turn are provided with V-shaped ends to receive the pointed ends of the shaft. These journals are secured in the bridge by set-screws 17 17 as illustrated in Fig. 7 of the drawings. The arms 15 15 are provided on their outer ends with split spring sleeves 20 20 20 20, and in these split spring sleeves are secured the insula-` tion-collars 21 21, which have their upper ends vflanged, as indicated at 22, and mounted in said collars are the carbon contactblocks 23, these contact-blocks havin their 1 upper ends beveled,'as designated by t e reference-numeral 24, and these contact-blocks and insulating-collars are secured in` the split spring sleeves by the screw-bolts 25, which pass through the lugs 26 of each sleeve. Upon each side of these electromagnets I mount two sets of binding-posts, and, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, each set of binding-posts upon each side of the electro-ma nets are in alinement with each other, two inding-posts'comprising each set. These binding-posts, as designated by the reference-numeral 27, are secured to the base ofthe relay by screws 28, which pass through an outwardly-extending arm 29 of the binding-posts, this construction preventing the binding-posts from rotating the contacts out of line upon the base of the relay, and upon the lower end of each binding-post are binding-nuts 30.

Upon the top of each bindin -post 27 is secured a cOntact-sprin 31, w ich, as illustrated in Fig. 5 of the rawings, is preferably rectangular in shape and is stamped from a piece of material suitable for this purpose.

AEach spring is provided with a projecting wardly at an angle to conform with the angle vof carbon contact-blocks 23, 'as indicated by the reference-numeral 33, and to this outwardly-extending arm 32 is secured a strip of platinum 34 by means of the rivets 35. This strip of platinum has its outer end bent u wardly at an angle a few degrees less than t e angle ofthe bent-up portion 33 of the arm 32. The obj ect of this construction will be hereinafter morev fully described. The body portion of the spring 31 is cut away, as designated by the reference-numeral 36, leaving an inwardly-projecting arm 37 having a slot 38 formed therein, and this spring 3l is secured` upon the' top of each binding-post 27 by a washer 39 and a screw 40, said screw passing through the washer, through the slot 38 of the spring, and into the binding-post. These binding-posts, as heretofore stated, are arranged in sets, and each binding-post of the set is so dis osed that theY projecting arms 32 of each spring of the binding-post will lie in alinement with each other, and these binding'- posts are so spaced apart as to leave a small space between the upwardly-bent ends 33 of t ese arms, and this space is arranged directly over and in vertical alinernent with the contact-blocks 23. By this construction it will be seen that l have provided four contact-blockswtwo uponeach side of the electromagnets-and the advantage oi this will be apparent from the description of the operation oi my improved relay. Upon the projecting edge 4l of the base l l mount the binding-posts 42 42, said posts being connected to .the electromagnets and 6 by wires which pass through the base l. The case or cover, as designated by the referencemu meral 44, is preferably inade of glass, as illus' trated in the accom anying drawings, and this glass casing is a a ted to rest'upon the base l of the relay and be secured thereto by a nut and a seal which is secured on a post 10, carried by the plate 8 of the electromagnets'. The top of the glass case has centrally `formed thereon a boss 45, and a similar boss 46 is 'formed upon the inner side of 'the top of the casing, and passing through said bosses and the to of the glass case is an aperture 47, throng which the post 16 passes, this ost vbeing threaded upon its outer end anc` receives the nut 48, this nut being recessed, as indicated at 49, to receive a suitable sealing material 50, whereby when the glass case has been laced over the relay the saine may be locked) thereon by this sealing material and cannot be removed without detection. Prior to securing the O'lass case upon the reay l insert a rubber gasket 5l upon the post 10, and another rubber gasket 52 is placed on this post after the glass casing has been placed bver the relay, these gaskets takin up all jar of the relay and reventing the g ass casing from breaking w ien the same is being secured thereon.

The circuits of my improved lrelay are clearly. illustrated in the diagranimatical view of the drawings, taken in connection with the other views, and in Fig. 6 l have shown the relay in series with three main-line circuits and a local circuit, and the referencenumeral 53 designates a motor of one of the main-line circuits, the one brush ol which is connected to the binding-post 27a of Fig. 6 by a wire 54, and the other brush of said Inotor is connected by a wire 55 to the bindingpost 27". The binding-post 27b is connected y awire 56 to abattery 57 whichis connected to the binding-post 27e by a wire 58, the binding-posts 27a and 27b `constituting one set of binding-posts, between which operates the contact-block 23a, and the binding-posts 27'c and 27 e constituting another set, between which operates the contact-block 23".

As illustrated in Fig. 6 of the drawings, the above bindingosts, motor 53, and battery 57 comprise one o the main circuits7 and located upon the opposite side of the relay is the local circuit. This local circuit is in series with the electromagnets 5 and 6, these magnets being connected together by a wire 59, and the magnet 6 is connected to the binding-post 42 by a wire 60, this binding-post in turn being connected by a wire 61 to a battery 62, the other pole of saidbattery being connected by a wire 63 to a similar binding-post 42h, and this post is again connected by awire 64 to the magnet 5, thus completing'a circuit through the electromagnets, and the reference-numeral 65 designates a switch which is located between the battery 62 and the bindingpost 42h. Upon this side of the relay are connected two main-line circuits ,A and B, and the connections of the circuit are as follows: The bindingpost 27d upon this side of the relay is connected by a wire 66 to one pole of abattery 67, the other pole of said battery being connected by a wire 68 to one brush of a motor 69, while the other brush of said motor is connected by a wire 70 to the other bindingost 27f of the set of binding-posts between w ich the contact-block 23C operates. The connections of the B circuit are as follows: The binding-post 27 g is connected by a wire 7l to one brush of a motor 72, while the other brush of said motor is connected by a wire 73 to one pole oi a battery 74, the other pole of this batterybeing connected by a wire 75 to` the binding post 27h of this set, between which operates the contactblock 23d. lt will thus be seen by this wiring that complete circuits exist between the bindingposts on one side of the relay .andthe electromagnets and the binding-posts upon the o posits side of lthe relay, and when the switc 65 is closed a circuit will be completed through the electrornagnets, and they will be energized, the armature 12, attracted 'to the cores of the magnets 5 and 6, and the contact-blocks 23c and 23, moved into engagement with the IOO IIO

- contact-s rings 31, completing a circuit, the

main-line circuit B.

contactock23c completing a circuit through the main-line circuit A and the contactblock 23d completing a circuit through the In completing these circuits the beveled sides 24 of the contactblock engage the upwardly-bent ends of the springs 31, these beveled surfaces of the contact-block engaging the upwardly-bent end of the platinum strip 34, forcing said platinum strip into engagement with the upwardly-bent end I33 ofthe spring A'31, thus insuring a positive contact between the block and the spring, and it will be noted that when the current passes through circuits A and B and also through the other main-line circuit vthese currents are entirely confined to themselves without passin through any moving wire or an part o the instrument, and if this strip o platinum should fail to contact with the end 33 ofthe spring the current will pass through the p atinum strip, through the rivets 35, through the spring to the binding-post.` When this operation takes lace, the main circuit on the opposite side oi) the relay is broken, this being occasioned by the construction of the armature beneath the eleetromagnets, said armature being ivotally mounted and carrying the outwar ly-extending arms 15 15, which 4 in turn carry the contact-blocks 23,

, From the foregoing deseri tion it will be observed that the circuit A, t rough the battery 67 and the motor 69, and the circuit B,

through the v`,battery 74 and motor 72, arek served thati while the circuit A is broken at two points-that is, at the opposite sides of the carbon blo'ck 23e-and the circuit B is similarly broken at the two sides of carbon blockV 23al the'circuit including battery 57 and motor 53 is broken at four points-to wit,

at both sides of each ofthe carbon blocks 23u and 23h.

It will be noted that when the circuits are broken the arc is broken at more than one point-that is, if the current was four arnpheres the same would be practically divided between the four points of break, as shown in main-line circuit of Fig. 6.

It may be noted that various changes may be rnade without departing from the general 'spirit and scope of t ie invention.

The operation of the relay as above described efl'ects the following result: Two 1ndependent main lines, cach containing a bat- `tery and a motor, are simultaneously closed by the energizing of the relay-magnet, and the third line, also containing a battery and a motor, has its circuit opened on the denergizing of the relay-magnet, and the lastnamed circuit is closed while the two other circuits are open, the relay being adapted to be used in certain positions where it is desired to open and close the circuit through a line containing a battery and a motor and in alternative order therewith to simultaneously open and close two independent lines, each containing a battery and a motor.

What I claim, and desire to secure. by Letters Patent, is

1. In a relay, a magnet-winding, a pivoted lever, an armature carried by said lever and ada ted to be attracted by said magnetwinding, *a wedge-shaped insulated contactblock carried at the end of said lever, `a pair of binding-posts, and a pair of spring-contacts carried by said posts and adapted to be bridged by said block.

2. In a relay, a magnet-winding, a pivoted lever, an armature carried by said lever and adapted to be attracted' by said magnetwinding, a wedge shaped. insulated carbon. contact-block carried at the end of said lever, and a pair of spring contact-plates adapted to be bridged by said block. y

3. In a relay, a magnet-winding, a pivoted lever, an armature carried by said lever and adapted to be attracted by said magnetwinding, a Wedge-shaped insulated contactblock carried at the end of said lever, a pair of binding-posts opposite said end of said lever, and a pair of spring-plates carried by said posts and extending into the path of movement of said block, the ends of said plates bein bent to engage the wedge-faces of said blocIi.

4. In a relay, a pivoted lever provided at its end with a split-ring sleeve, an insulatingcollar carried within saidsleeve, a contactblock having a Wedge-shaped head supported within said collar, and stationary s ring-contacts adapted to be bridged by sai block.

5. In a relay, a pivoted lever provided at its end with a split-ring sleeve, an insulatingcollar carried within'said sleeve, a contactblock having a shank surrounded by and supported in said collar and an enlarged wedge- 'shaped head, and stationary s ring-contacts adapted to be bridged by said lock.

6. In a relay, a magnet-winding, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends, an armature carried by said lever adapted to be attracted by said magnet-windin contact-blocks carried at each end of sai lever, and a pair of spring-contacts op osite each contact-block and adapted to be bridged thereby.

7. In a relay, a. magnet-winding, a lever` pivoted intermediate its length, an armature carried by said. lever and adapted to be attracted by said magnet-winding, contact- IfO ISO

blocks carried at opposite ends of said lever, and a pair of spring-contacts opposite each end of said lever and adapted to be bridged alternately by said blocks when opposite ends of said lever are raised.

8. In a relay, a magnet-winding, a lever pivotedA intermediate its len th, an armature carried by said lever andaiylapted to be attracted by said magnet-winding,l wedgeshaped contact-blocks carried at opposlte ends of said lever, and a pair of spring-plates supported opposite each end of said lever and extending into the path of movement of said blocks, the ends of said plates being bent to engage the wedge-faces of said blocks.

9. In a relay, a pair of spring-contacts, each formed as a rectangular plate, the interior of the rectangle being cut away, and having a tongue projecting inwardly from one side of the rectangle to engage a support and a second tongue projecting outwardly from the opposite side of the rectangle toward the other contact, and a magnetically-actuated contact-block adapted to bridge said outwardly-projecting tongues.

10. In a relay, a pair of spring-contacts, each formed as a rectangular plate, the interior of therectangle being cut away, and having a slotted tongue projecting inwardly from one side of the rectangle toengage a support and a second ton ue rojectmg outwardly from the opposite side of the rectangle toward the other contact, the adjacent ends of said outwardly-projecting tongues being bent at an angie to the plane of the contacts, and a wedge shaped magnetically actuated contact-block adapted to engage the bent ends of said tongues.y

11. In a relay, a pair of spring-contacts each having a projecting tongue extending toward the other, spring-clips carried at the ends of said ton ues, and a magnetically-actuated contactock adapted to engage both spring-clips and to press them against said tongues. v

12. In a relay, a pair of spring-contacts, each having a projecting tongue extending toward the other and bent at the en d at an angle to the plane of the contacts, springclips carried at the ends of said tongues, and a wed e-shaped magnetically-actuated contact-bock adapted to engage said springclips and to press them against the ends of said tongues.

13'. In a relay, a pair of spring-contacts, each having a projecting tongueextending toward the other,'platinum spring-clips carried at the ends of said tongues, and a magnetically-actuated carbon contact-block adapted to engage both of said spring-clips and to ress them against said tongues. i

14.l n a relay, an insulating-base, a supporting-bridge secured thereto, a magnet supported on said brid e and having its axis at right angles to said ase, an armature pivoted beneath said bridge, and an insulatingcover en aging said base and secured to the outer en of the magnet-core.

15. In a relay, an insulating-base, a supporting-bridge secured thereto, amagnet supported on said bridge and having its axis at right angles to said base, an armature pivoted beneath said bridge, an insulating-cover engaging said base, and clamping means extending through the 'center of said cover and engaging the magnet-core. 16. Arelay comprisin abase,electromag nets mounted u on sai base, an armature mounted beneatli said electromagnets, insulated contact-blocks carried by said armature, a plurality of binding-posts mounted upon said base, contact-springs carried by said posts, said contact-springs being arranged to be engaged by' some insulated blocks and disengaged by others when said electromagnets are energized, an insulated cover adapted to rest uponsaid base, and

means for securing the said cover to the top of the electromagnets, substantially as described,

17. In a relay, the combination of a base, electromagnets mounted thereon, a central pivotediarmature-lever, an armature carried on said lever, an insulated contact block mounted on each end of said lever, a air of contact-springs mounted on a pair o binding-posts at each end of said lever, said springs being disposed above the contact-blocks at each end of the lever whereby when the lever is elevated by the ener izin of the magnet, one of the contact-bloc s wi l be thrown u wardly between two of the spri s, while t e contact-.block at the opposite erilof the lever will be thrown downwardly from between the springs atthat end.

18. In a relay of the character described,

the combination of an electromagnet, a plul vrality of binding-posts arranged in pairs, a

spring-tongue carried by each binding-post, a pivoted armature, and insulated contactblocks carried by said armature and so disposed thereon that at one position of the armature one of said contact-blocks will engage the springs of one pair of binding-posts and at another position of the armature another of said contact-blocks will engage the springs of another air of said binding-posts.

19. In a relay, t e combination of an eiectromagnet, an armature, and means controlled by said armature for closing two independentv circuits at one movement of the armature and simultaneously opening a third independent circuit.

20. In a relay, the combination of an electromagnet, an'armature, and means carried by the armature for com leting an electric circuit at one movement oi) the armature and at the same movement of the armature breaking an independent circuit at two points.

21. The combination of an electromagnet,

IIO

IIS

the combination with an electromagnet, an

armature, binding-posts arranged in pairs,

contact-springs carried by said posts7 and a plurality of insulated contact-blocks carried y said armature, said blocks having beveled heads and each block being adaptedto simultaneously engage both springs of one pair of bindin -posts 23. n a relay of the character described, the combination with an electrically-actuated armature, of a pluralit of insulated contact-blocks carried by sai armature, a'plurality of binding-posts, contact-springs carried by said posts, said contact-blocks having beveled heads and adapted to simultaneously engage two of said springs whereby a circuit will be closed, substantially as 4described.

\ 24. In a relay of the character described, the combination with an electrically-operated armature, of a plurality of binding-posts7 contact-springs carried by said osts7 anda lurality of insulated contact-b ocks carrie by said armature and adapted to be engaged by said contact-springs whereby when said insulated blocks are inter osed between said vsprings a circuit will be c osed.

In testimony whereof' I affix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

REINHOLD HERMAN. Witnesses:

H. C. EVERT,

POTTER. 

